Little Atoms Road Trip 04 – Andrew Snelling

Andrew Snelling has a degree in applied geology from the University of New South Wales, and a doctorate in geology from the University of Sydney. He worked for the Australian mining industry for a number of years, before devoting his life to the study of “creation science“. He joined the Institute for Creation Research in 1998, and began working for Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum in 2007.

Great podcast. Well done getting Snelling to speak about his nonsensical beliefs.

How can a qualified geologist like Snelling hold a belief in a 6,000 year old Earth. He must have perfected double-think to exist in “orthodox” geology circles. His religious beliefs clearly take precedence over the overwhelming evidence for an almost unimaginably old Earth (4.5 billion years) and an even older universe.

His arguments for a Young Earth appear to be based purely on twisted geology science. How about the evidence of biological evolution, such as comparative anatomy, gene sequencing and geographical distribution of species?

I recommend YouTuber WildwoodClaire1 for her excellent geology videos and debunking of Young Earth Creationists like Snelling.

Er… 5ec4um, when were creationist spokesmen ever shy about a chance to explain themselves in public media? I say Neil Denny deserves great credit for allowing one to speak for himself, as opposed to lazily resting in opponents’ distortions. I find that to be very rare among atheists – just cf. Dawkins’ long-standing refusal to debate creationists (and Craig on UK tour recently), and Scott’s on-the-record advocacy of obscurantism as a weapon against creationists!

I think Snelling acquitted himself pretty decently, and I don’t doubt that given more time (but the interview was long enough!) he’d have given intelligent answers to the evolutionary arguments you mention. But those are really putting the cart before the horse, because without vast amounts of time evolution is simply not an option on the table.